tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75647893551395355832018-03-05T08:24:34.349-08:00INFORMATION WATCHMoshiur Rahmanhttps://plus.google.com/116687806302982920562noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-28950184156664179762010-01-21T11:37:00.000-08:002010-01-21T11:49:24.281-08:00Climate chief admits error over report of Himalayan glaciers<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OzKPW_KwwI8/S1ivkvaeDrI/AAAAAAAAAk0/BwoZ_AelCbM/s1600-h/himalay+climate+change.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 229px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429282396532772530" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OzKPW_KwwI8/S1ivkvaeDrI/AAAAAAAAAk0/BwoZ_AelCbM/s320/himalay+climate+change.jpg" /></a><br /><div>The head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been forced to apologise for including in its 2007 report the claim that there was a "very high" chance of glaciers disappearing from the Himalayas by 2035.<br />Rajendra Pachauri, the chairman of the IPCC, conceded yesterday that "the clear and well-established standards of evidence required by the IPCC procedures were not applied properly" when the claim was included in the 900-page assessment of the impacts of climate change.<br />The paragraph at issue reads: "Glaciers in the Himalaya are receding faster than in any other part of the world and, if the present rate continues, the likelihood of them disappearing by the year 2035 and perhaps sooner is very high."<br />Single source<br />The report's only cited source was a 2005 report by the environment group WWF, which in turn cited a 1999 article in New Scientist.<br />The New Scientist article quoted senior Indian glaciologist Syed Hasnain, the then vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, who was writing a report on the Himalayas for the International Commission for Snow and Ice. It said, on the basis of an interview with Hasnain, that his report "indicates that all the glaciers in the central and eastern Himalayas could disappear by 2035". The claim did not, however, appear in the commission's report, which was only made available late last year.<br />This week a group of geographers, headed by Graham Cogley of Trent University at Peterborough in Ontario, Canada, have written to the journal Science pointing out that the claim "requires a 25-fold greater loss rate from 1999 to 2035 than that estimated for 1960 to 1999. It conflicts with knowledge of glacier-climate relationships, and is wrong."<br />The geographers add that the claim has "captured the global imagination and has been repeated in good faith often, including recently by the IPCC's chairman". The IPCC's errors "could have been avoided had the norms of scientific publication, including peer review and concentration upon peer-reviewed work, been respected", they say.<br />Several of those involved in the IPCC review process did try to question the 2035 date before it was published by the IPCC. Among them was Georg Kaser, a glaciologist from the University of Innsbruck, Austria, and a lead author of another section of the IPCC report. "I scanned the almost final draft at the end of 2006 and came across the 2035 reference." Kaser queried the reference but believes it was too late in the day for it to be reassessed.<br />Publicly available IPCC archives of the review process show that during the formal review, the Japanese government also questioned the 2035 claim. It commented: "This seems to be a very important statement. What is the confidence level/certainty?" Soon afterwards, a reference to the WWF report was added to the final draft. But the statement otherwise went unchanged.<br />Grey literature<br />One of the IPCC authors, Stephen Schneider of Stanford University, California, this week defended the use of so-called "grey" literature in IPCC reports. He told New Scientist that it was not possible to include only peer-reviewed research because, particularly in the chapters discussing the regional impacts of climate change, "most of the literature is not up to that gold standard".<br />The Himalaya claim appeared in the regional chapter on Asia. "There are only a few authors in each region, so it narrows the base of science," Schneider says.<br />This week Hasnain has claimed, for the first time, that he was misquoted by New Scientist in 1999.<br />New Scientist stands by its story and was not the only news outlet to publish Hasnain's claim.</div>Moshiur Rahmanhttps://plus.google.com/116687806302982920562noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-10737835593428941922010-01-19T11:55:00.001-08:002010-01-19T11:55:56.759-08:00www.gurumia,com<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><a href='http://www.gurumia.com'>www.gurumia.com</a> <br/>to explore Bangladesh</p>in reference to: <a href='http://www.google.com/'>Google</a> (<a href='http://www.google.com/sidewiki/entry/116687806302982920562/id/1mJMFOQrqx4Xvgra_8pAEjcDHBA'>view on Google Sidewiki</a>)</div>Moshiur Rahmanhttps://plus.google.com/116687806302982920562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-77129423497958596142010-01-12T09:23:00.003-08:002010-01-12T09:23:35.590-08:00good service<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>i appriciate - <a href='http://www.gurumia.com'>www.gurumia.com</a></p>in reference to: <a href='http://www.google.com/'>Google</a> (<a href='http://www.google.com/sidewiki/entry/116687806302982920562/id/a8uEal64URFTZqSS1YPK-A5EETg'>view on Google Sidewiki</a>)</div>Moshiur Rahmanhttps://plus.google.com/116687806302982920562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-61810461422316202382010-01-12T09:23:00.001-08:002010-01-12T09:23:24.945-08:00good service<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>i appriciate - <a href='http://www.gurumia.com'>www.gurumia.com</a></p>in reference to: <a href='http://www.google.com/'>Google</a> (<a href='http://www.google.com/sidewiki/entry/116687806302982920562/id/PO8FMxBoBb4fuXecpFqA4aUpGXs'>view on Google Sidewiki</a>)</div>Moshiur Rahmanhttps://plus.google.com/116687806302982920562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-62245880079539416282009-07-07T03:33:00.000-07:002009-07-07T03:51:48.723-07:00Christian Bible Goes Digital<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/00779/Codex-Sinaiticus-46_779521c.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 460px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 288px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/00779/Codex-Sinaiticus-46_779521c.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Christian Bible Goes Digital</span></em></strong></div><br /><div>Time is never kind to paper manuscripts, particular those written more than 1600 years ago. Some 800 pages remain of the Codex Sinaiticus, a version of the Christian Bible written in the fourth century, and the original text is thought to be nearly twice as long. Historians believe the book may be world's oldest Christian Bible. </div><br /><div>to today's online publication of the Codex Sinaiticus, scholars can examine the entire book from the comfort of their desks. Curious? You can explore the document yourself. Stephen Bates of The Guardian explains the significance of the online edition:<br />". . . so sophisticated is modern technology that scholars will not only be able to read the document on their screens using a standard light setting, but also separately by a raking illumination that highlights the texture and features of the very parchment on which the 800 surviving pages of text were written."<br />It's fair to say the online edition of Codex Sinaiticus won't have mainstream appeal. But the project does illustrate the power of the Internet to advance educational pursuits. </div>SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-83817944634927216772009-07-05T05:38:00.000-07:002009-07-05T07:06:18.359-07:00why you'll want to play Batman's gritty upcoming adventure<a href="http://images.pcworld.com/news/graphics/167867-211011-5_slide.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 575px; height: 353px;" src="http://images.pcworld.com/news/graphics/167867-211011-5_slide.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Batman Fans Will Go Bat-Crazy ..<br />Kevin Conroy possesses the kind of voice that could probably part the Red Sea. It's only fitting that his acting prowess from Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond and five seasons of the Justice League series would bring the Caped Crusader to life in Arkham Asylum, and it's good to have him back. That deep, baritone pitch has been something that Christian Bale likely weeped at his inability to mimic, although it probably doesn't help that Conroy's normal civilian speech sounds like the voice of God with a touch of Clint Eastwood (also God).<br /><br />On the other end of the spectrum, Mark Hamill, who is arguably more famous for voice acting than his lightsaber skills, is providing the voice of the Joker. It doesn't get much better than that. Unlike goofy incarnations of Batman's less threatening foes, Mark Hamill makes the Joker sound straight up psychotic. How psychotic? Expose some small children to Batman: The Animated Series, and it's 90 percent certain that they'll develop a sudden, volatile fear of clowns. <br /><strong>Play with Insanely Cool Bat Tools like Explosive Jelly and Razor-Sharp Batarangs </strong><br />Even if they don't always get the combat right (cough, Batman: Dark Tomorrow), most Batman games don't skimp on those wonderful toys. Arkham Asylum's no slouch either, as you've got everything from grappling hooks, mid-flight-controlled Batarangs and explosive Bat-Jelly that can pretty much turn anything into rubble. Heck, even the Joker's packing some heat, and by heat we mean face-searing, skin-melting acid. Oh, and he has a gun. Just in case the acid wasn't painful enough.SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-867172970440643162009-06-11T07:12:00.000-07:002009-06-11T07:20:26.459-07:00Google is hoping to dissuade the Department of Justice from bringing an antitrust case.<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20090611/google-AFP.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 330px; height: 220px;" src="http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20090611/google-AFP.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Increasing scrutiny of corporate behavior, Google is hoping to dissuade the Department of Justice from bringing an antitrust case. <br />For several months, Google has been explaining to regulators and journalists that, contrary to the predatory image painted by competitors, the company is fragile. It has made its case in Washington, D.C., New York, and Brussels, hoping to dissuade the U.S. Department of Justice and European regulators from bringing an antitrust case against the company. <br /><br />After the lax regulatory atmosphere of the Bush administration, the Obama administration appears to be increasing its scrutiny of corporate behavior. The new head of the Justice Department's antitrust division said in a recent speech that the department would be taking a more aggressive approach with companies that use their dominant position to stifle competition. In a speech last year, before her appointment to the Justice Department, she said that Google had acquired a monopoly in online advertising. <br />Google also faces Justice Department scrutiny over its proposed settlement with book publishers and authors, Federal Trade Commission scrutiny over board members who also serve on Apple's board, and a Justice Department inquiry into the possibility that Silicon Valley companies such as Google and Apple colluded to avoid poaching employees from one another. Last year, Google abandoned a planned advertising deal with Yahoo to avoid an antitrust showdown with the Justice Department. <br /><br />During the Google presentation, Adam Kovacevich, the company's senior manager of global communications and public affairs, acknowledged that the company's success has brought increased scrutiny. But he insisted that Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) was in a similar position a decade ago, citing a 1998 Fortune article that declared, "Yahoo has won the search engine wars." <br /><br />"We also know our position is fragile," he said. <br />In keeping with Google's emphasis on data and metrics, Google legal counsel Dana Wagner, who coincidentally used to work in the antitrust division of the Justice Department, offered an anecdote in support of this claim.SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-13016161640781368092009-04-27T04:27:00.000-07:002009-04-27T04:41:20.221-07:00Microsoft is adding a "Windows XP Mode" to Windows 7<a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/4/25/1240694721396/WindowsVPC7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 460px; height: 288px;" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/4/25/1240694721396/WindowsVPC7.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><strong>Now Windows 7 gets built in XP mode..</strong><br />Microsoft is adding a "Windows XP Mode" to Windows 7, in a move to encourage users to make the switch to the software vendor's forthcoming operating system.<br /><br />The firm has built its XP mode into Windows 7 by using the Windows Virtual PC technology Microsoft acquired in 2003, to make the OS compatible to run apps designed for Vista's predecessor.<br />Redmond was keen to emphasise in a blog post late on Friday that it's hoping to woo small businesses to move to Windows 7 by bigging up the XP mode feature.<br /><br />"Windows XP Mode is specifically designed to help small businesses move to Windows 7," said Microsoft. "Windows XP Mode provides you with the flexibility to run many older productivity applications on a Windows 7 based PC."<br /><br />Users can install apps directly into the virtualised XP environment. The applications are then published to the Windows 7 desktop and they can be run from within that OS.<br /><br />Microsoft said it will release a beta of Windows XP mode and Windows Virtual PC for Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate "soon" but wasn't more specific about when the test builds will land.<br /><br />When Microsoft released Vista over two years ago, many businesses and individuals complained about compatibility snafus with applications that simply wouldn't work within the new OSSANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-53728849884554379312009-03-29T22:01:00.000-07:002009-03-29T22:12:36.613-07:00Nokia ready to change its fortunes in the U.S. market<a href="http://www.techshout.com/images/nokia-e63-us.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 450px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.techshout.com/images/nokia-e63-us.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />NOKIA HITS US MARKETS.....<br /><strong>Nokia has steadily lost ground in recent years, watching its market share shrivel to single digits. </strong><br />Nokia hopes to reverse that trend. On Mar. 30, AT&T (T), the largest wireless carrier in the U.S., plans to announce it will soon carry Nokia's e71x, the thinnest smartphone available in the U.S. The phone is similar to traditional BlackBerry devices in looks, but is a sleeker 0.39 inches thick. It has a Qwerty keyboard, allowing for Web browsing and corporate e-mail access via regular wireless networks and Wi-Fi hotspots at cafés and airports. The device also has a built-in Global Positioning System, a music player, a video camera, and a memory card slot. The Nokia e71x is expected to hit the U.S. market in May and should cost $100 after rebate with a two-year contract. <br /><br />"We believe this is a great opportunity for Nokia," says Hugo Hernandez, Nokia's head of E-series marketing for North America. "We are bringing in a device with the right [features] and the right price point." <br /><br /><strong>Investing more in the U.S. market</strong><br />To gain back market share and prove it's serious about the U.S. market this time, Nokia needs to follow up the e71x with comparably promising phones. In particular, the company needs to develop more phones with the CDMA wireless technology used by Verizon Wireless and Sprint (S). "It'll be difficult [to increase their market share] due to their [near] lack of CDMA presence," says Hughes De La Vergne, a principal analyst at Gartner (IT).SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-61956485677299582832009-03-24T22:31:00.000-07:002009-03-24T22:40:34.758-07:00T-Mobile felt the time was right to roll out its new webConnect USB Laptop Stick.<a href="http://www.tmonews.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/webconnect.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 290px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 324px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.tmonews.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/webconnect.jpg" /></a><br /><div><strong><em><span style="color:#009900;">WebConnect USB Laptop Stick on T-Mobile ..</span></em></strong> <div>Manufactured by Huawei Technologies Co., this small, portable modem lets you connect to the Web on your laptop using T-Mobile's 3G network or Wi-Fi, and comes with built-in T-Mobile Connection Manager software to automatically detect the best available Internet connection.<br />In addition, the WebConnect laptop stick offers tri-band 3G connectivity (HSDPA/UMTS 1900/AWS/2100), so you'll be able to use it on compatible networks overseas. If you're in an area where there is no 3G coverage, it is compatible with GPRS/EDGE networks, so you're not left to search out a Wi-Fi hot spot as your only option of getting online.<br />Aside from connectivity, the T-Mobile WebConnect laptop stick can also double as a portable storage device. Similar to the AT&amp;T USBConnect Mercury, it's equipped with a microSD/SDHC expansion slot that can accept up to 8GB cards. The accessory features a swivel USB design and measures 3.5 inches tall by 1.1 inches wide by 0.4 inch thick and weighs 1.5 ounces. </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 241px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 153px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2006/11/11.13.06---rcampc4000.jpg" />The T-Mobile WebConnect USB Laptop Stick will be available in select T-Mobile retail stores and online starting March 25. There are various pricing options available: $49.99 with a two-year contract after rebate; $99.99 with one-year contract; or $249.99 with no contract. </div>SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-70691205683805110842009-03-19T05:26:00.000-07:002009-03-19T05:39:42.980-07:00If you have a Sony Reader, you have a lot of reading to catch up on.<a href="http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/100258_matter.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/100258_matter.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Sony EBook Store to present standard Books Digitized by Google.</div><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#000099;">How does it work?</span></strong></div><br /><div>Reader doesn’t have to replace your traditional books - it’s just a new way of enjoying reading. With Reader you can carry far more books with you wherever you go, so whatever mood takes you you’ll have a book that fits it. </div><br /><div>And using Reader couldn’t be simpler:<br />When you buy a Reader, install the supplied software on your computer, connect Reader to it with the cable provided and voila! </div><br /><div>Create and manage your eBook library on your PC and transfer your eBooks to Reader exactly like you do with your music on your mp3 player.</div><br /><div><br />Need a new book? Choose from thousands of titles available from <a class="inline" href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/navigate.do?ctx=10030">waterstones.com</a> the online store of Britain's best-loved bookseller. Simply buy the ones you want and import them into your PC’s Reader library.<br />Store up to 160 books at a time on your Reader. If you’re a real bookworm add to your collection and store thousands more using a Sony Memory Stick Duo™ or SD memory card.<br /></div><br /><div>Bookmark pages or magnify text on a page; Reader will also remember where you last left off – even if you don’t.<br /></div><br /><div>It’s slim and light so you can take it with you wherever you go and the long battery life means you can enjoy nearly 7000 page turns without recharging – that’s like reading War and Peace five times over. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Sony Electronics has struck a deal with Google to distribute half a million titles through the Sony eBook Store -- for free.<br />The books, all published before 1923 and now in the public domain, were digitized by Google as part of its Google Book Search program. Sony will offer them alongside the 100,000 or so books still under copyright that it sells through its eBook store.<br />It's already possible to download public domain books from Google Book Search as PDF files and copy them onto a flash memory card for use in e-readers such as Sony's, but this partnership will simplify the process for users by integrating it into the eBook Library Software for PCs that ships with the Sony Reader.<br />The service won't give Reader owners free access to the much greater number of books still in copyright, many of which Google Book Search has already digitized, however.<br />To access the public domain books, owners of Sony's PRS-505 or PRS-700 readers will need to install the PC software and create an account on the eBook Store if they don't already have one. Owners of the older PRS-500 are out of luck, though: the service won't work with that device.<br />The expanded library won't address one key difference between the Sony Reader and Amazon's Kindle e-readers: the Amazon devices don't need to be tethered to a PC to download and install new books. Instead, the Kindles download books over the air via Sprint Nextel's 3G (third generation) mobile network. However, the wireless technology Amazon has chosen for the Kindle -- and the Kindle 2, released Feb. 9 -- is little used outside the U.S., and is incompatible with mobile networks in Europe and most of Asia.<br />That leaves an opening for other e-reader manufacturers to provide devices that work with European mobile networks, perhaps linking to other online bookstores. Dutch company Endless Ideas is planning just that with the next version of its BeBook e-reader. It showed a prototype of the device at Cebit, but the new model was absent from its small stand at the Paris Book Fair last week, where Sony had a major presence.<br />Google's partnership with Sony is not the first time it has simplified access to Google Book Search for mobile devices. On Feb. 6 it opened up the service to the Apple iPhone and to phones based on the Android software platform it backs.</div>SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-57896707669695870042009-03-15T04:18:00.000-07:002009-03-15T04:27:25.091-07:00Obama's administration is putting $19 billion toward "Health IT,"<a href="http://www.djhealthtech.com/Stetonlaptop.jpg/Stetonlaptop-full;init:.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 425px; height: 282px;" src="http://www.djhealthtech.com/Stetonlaptop.jpg/Stetonlaptop-full;init:.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Obama's administration is putting $19 billion toward electronic health record systems to get better treatment and inferior costs.<br />When Saver begins to examine his patient, however, the 56-year-old physician does something that four out of five doctors in America do not: He pulls out a computer.<br />The little black Toshiba, its edges worn to the bare metal, gets more use than the stethoscope and has become key to the care Saver gives his patients -- organizing medical histories, test results, prescriptions and other data that were once a jumble of paper records.<br /><br />Saver's laptop, and the system behind it, put him on the cutting edge of what President Obama and many experts say is a critical step to improving the nation's healthcare system while also reining in cost.It is known as "Health IT," an idea that promises to use information technology to cut medical errors, avoid unnecessary tests and procedures and identify better treatments.<br /><br /><strong>The New York system, which links more than 800 providers, also allows public health officials to quickly tap patient data to track disease outbreaks and send doctors up-to-the-minute advisories.<br /><br />"There are just huge opportunities here," said Farzad Mostashari, an assistant health commissioner in New York</strong>.SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-6582168789588902792009-03-13T07:17:00.000-07:002009-03-13T07:32:59.770-07:00Apple unveiled the new iPod Shuffle<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xtw6veyq33A/SbpuheBwTHI/AAAAAAAABAM/2R8C6Y_V01k/s1600-h/ipoddddddddd.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xtw6veyq33A/SbpuheBwTHI/AAAAAAAABAM/2R8C6Y_V01k/s200/ipoddddddddd.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312680231712083058" /></a><br /><strong>Apple iPod Shuffle....</strong><br /><em>Apple unveiled the new iPod Shuffle, which is only half the volume of the previous iPod Shuffle, which itself was about the size of a quarter. The new one looks like a sleek aluminum tie clip, or maybe a slightly elongated stick of Trident gum; a AA battery hides it completely. There's just enough room on the back for a mirror-finish spring clip for fastening to your clothes. (If you order from apple.com, you can get a custom message laser-etched onto the clip.)</em><br />Apple's third-generation iPod Shuffle MP3 player ($79) is the smallest MP3 player you can buy. Its unique size and uncommon, remote-controlled design won't suit every purpose, but people looking for the next best thing to an invisible iPod will appreciate the player's minimal approach. <br /><strong><br />Design</strong><br />At first glance, the iPod Shuffle looks almost like a practical joke--as if someone is trying to convince you that their tie clip plays MP3s. The aluminum-encased hardware measures just a few hairs larger than a paper clip (0.7 inch by 1.8 inches by 0.3 inch) and includes not a hint of button, knob, or screen. The headphone jack sits on the top edge of the Shuffle along with a switch that controls playback mode (shuffle playback/consecutive playback) and power. <br /><br />Fortunately, Apple doesn't expect you to control the Shuffle's volume and playback using mind control (not yet, at least). The earbud-style headphones bundled with the Shuffle include a remote control on the cable, just below the right ear. The remote offers three buttons: two for volume control (up/down); and a central button with multiple functions. You press the center button once to pause music playback, twice to skip forward, and three times to skip back. Of course, the downside to this headphone-controlled design is if you lose your headphones, you also lose control of your iPod. Apple's own replacement earbuds for the Shuffle run $29, but it's possible to grab third-party headphones and adapters for less. <br />The headphone cable reaches 3 feet, which should be more than enough length considering that the Shuffle is meant to be clipped to your clothing. A hinged chromed metal clip runs the length of the Shuffle on one side and includes a slot for attaching a lanyard or keychain. An Apple logo is engraved on the clip, and custom engraving is offered on orders placed through Apple's online store. <br /><strong><br />Features</strong><br />The Shuffle is purely a digital audio player. There's no FM radio, no voice recording, and--obviously--no photo or video playback. Audio formats supported include MP3, AAC, Audible, WAV, AIF, and Apple Lossless, but no hope for WMA or FLAC. <br /><br />The third-generation version of the iPod Shuffle offers a few new features over previous models, though. For one, this is the first Shuffle that tells you what you're listening to, which is no small accomplishment considering the player doesn't have a screen. The Shuffle uses a synthesized voice to announce artist and song title information whenever you hold the headphone clicker down. Apple is calling this feature VoiceOver and offers support for 14 languages, with voice quality hinging on what type of computer and operating system you're using.SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-78115740214014972702009-03-07T20:59:00.000-08:002009-03-07T21:15:00.683-08:00First robotics contest Makes Science chill!Robot No. 219 was designed and built by Warren Hills Regional High School students in six weeks.<br /><a href="http://blog.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county_impact/2009/03/large_robot007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 453px; height: 339px;" src="http://blog.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county_impact/2009/03/large_robot007.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />High School students participate in FIRST robotics competition.<br />Blair Robot Project competes at Washington, D.C. <br />regional.Blair team already preparing for tough future competitions.The Blair Robot Project placed 23rd among 65 participating teams at the 2009 FIRST FRC (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Robotics Competition) Washington, D.C. regional in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Feb.<br /><br />The FRC challenges students around the country with a game design from which teams have six weeks to assimilate their engineering, programming and constructing skills into a robot to accomplish the game's objectives. This year's game, "Lunacy," required team robots to work in alliances to score balls into baskets attached to opposing robots while driving around on a slick arena track.<br /><br />With four wins and three losses in the qualification matches at the D.C. regional, Blair was not picked to move on to elimination matches, the next step of the competition. Problems attributed to the camera sensor detecting for the robot's shooter hindered the team from scoring. The shooter ended up calculating the distance and power needed to score too slowly at the competition since all targets were moving, according to senior member William Shepherdson.<br /><br />The team plans to participate again at the Chesapeake regional on March 19. "We can bring 40 pounds of parts and things we build to modify our robot for Chesapeake," Shepherdson said. "We want to retweak the code a bit and are thinking about redoing our scoring mechanism." Teams from the winning alliance of each regional competition move on to the national championship in Atlanta, Ga. on April 16.<br /><br />The Blair Robot Project, sponsored by physics teacher Joseph Boettcher and computer science teacher Mary McManus, began the build season on Jan. 3 by dividing and conquering their task through smaller groups - electronics, programming, drive, specialty and public relations. Three thousand dollars in parts, $9,000 in prototyping and hundreds of hours of work later was a 119-pound, five-foot tall robot complete with an automated-camera controlled turret shooter and a smooth drive system. "Some of the most dedicated members put in over 200 hours over build season," junior vice president Eric Van Albert saidSANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-10998068608994534962009-03-06T19:54:00.000-08:002009-03-06T20:04:53.484-08:00Microsoft: Lots to turn off in Windows 7<a href="http://news.cnet.com/i/bto/20090108/Windows7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 420px; height: 315px;" src="http://news.cnet.com/i/bto/20090108/Windows7.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><em>Microsoft will expand the list of "features" that can be disabled when the Windows 7 Release Candidate becomes available, including the ability to turn off Internet Explorer 8. </em><br />The next version of Windows is giving Microsoft Corp. watchers a peek at how the software maker plans to keep European antitrust regulators from marring a crucial software launch.<br /><br />Windows 7, the successor to the much-maligned Vista, isn't expected to reach consumers until next year, but more than a million people are already testing early versions. A pair of bloggers tinkering with settings stumbled upon one they hadn't seen before: The ability to "turn off" Microsoft's own Internet Explorer browser.<br /><br />Microsoft lost a long-running battle with EU antitrust regulators in 2007 over the way it bundled media player software into the Windows operating system. The dust had barely settled when a similar claim was filed, this time over Internet Explorer's place inside Windows. Opera Software ASA, a Norwegian competitor, claimed the practice gives Microsoft's browser an unfair advantage.<br /><br />In a preliminary decision in January, the EU agreed. Since then, makers of the open-source browser Firefox and Google Inc., which entered the browser market six months ago, have offered to provide more evidence that Microsoft is stifling competition.<br /><br />In the media player dispute, the EU heavily fined Microsoft and forced it to sell a version of Windows without the offending program installed. This time, Microsoft appears to be offering the check-box solution as a way to head off a similar ending.<br /><br />The company declined to comment Friday on the connection between the check boxes and the EU's preliminary decision. But in a recent quarterly filing, it said the European Commission may order PC makers to install multiple browsers on new PCs and force Microsoft to disable parts of its own Internet Explorer if people chose a competing browser.<br /><br />The check boxes, which were described on Microsoft enthusiast blogs http://www.aeroxp.org and http://www.chris123nt.com, also give Windows 7 users a way to disable the media player and hard-drive search programs, among other components, both of which have drawn scrutiny from regulators.<br /><br />After Windows Vista landed with a thud, Microsoft needs a hit, said Michael Cherry, an analyst for the research group Directions on Microsoft. Beyond appeasing the EU, he said he didn't see much use for the Internet Explorer check box.SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-82422897137977108992009-03-05T19:17:00.000-08:002009-03-05T19:41:36.893-08:00Universal Music Group & Google to create a joint music video venture.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xtw6veyq33A/SbCa-laMp3I/AAAAAAAAA_E/Mnds0Gs7rhU/s1600-h/google.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xtw6veyq33A/SbCa-laMp3I/AAAAAAAAA_E/Mnds0Gs7rhU/s200/google.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309914360654374770" /></a><br /><a href="http://reporter.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/03/07/umglogo_2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 468px; height: 324px;" src="http://reporter.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/03/07/umglogo_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><strong>Universal, Google in talks about music video partnership..</strong>Google Inc. and Universal Music Group are in talks to enter a partnership that would create a new music video hub powered by YouTube, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal .<br />Under the partnership, Universal would use YouTube technology and ad sales to distribute content around the Web.<br /><br /><em>when Google-owned YouTube is searching for ways to monetize its vast amounts of video content and Internet traffic. The major record labels have also been exploring a number of online strategies for monetizing their music content as compact disc sales continue their steep decline.<br /><br />Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) paid $1.65 billion for YouTube a few years ago.<br />Google's stock was down 4 percent to US$306.10 per share in mid-day trading on Thursday.<br />No deal has been officially announced by YouTube or Universal Music Group yet.</em><br /><br /><em>YouTube and Universal Music are reportedly trying to hash out a deal to create a premium music video site. Currently, many music videos can be found on YouTube, but a deal with one or more major record companies could create a more easily monetized and managed music video portal. YouTube may be looking at the model followed by Hulu, which pairs professional TV content with video advertisements.</em><br />Moving away from the current model of labels receiving licensing fees or a share of ad revenue for their videos, Universal wants a new relationship in which music videos are displayed in "high-quality" and are ad-supported. The site would be separate from YouTube's main site. <br /><br />Google has also notified Warner Music Group, Sony and EMI about the plans but they are not part of the current negotiations. <br /><br />The talks are still in their preliminary stages, despite beginning in January. <br /><br />Universal CEO Doug Morris is said to be at the head of the talks and the move makes sense being that Universal's licensing agreement with YouTube is set to expire on March 31st. <br /><br />The Universal Music Group channel on YouTube is by far its most popular, generating 3.6 billion views so far.SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-64459184717753824382009-03-02T20:07:00.000-08:002009-03-02T20:20:38.540-08:00Nokia announced the new Nokia 5800 Xpress Music's availability in the United States<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xtw6veyq33A/Sayv6K89_AI/AAAAAAAAA-s/exqN6f1SfvI/s1600-h/nokiaaaaaaa.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 141px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xtw6veyq33A/Sayv6K89_AI/AAAAAAAAA-s/exqN6f1SfvI/s200/nokiaaaaaaa.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308811474670320642" /></a><br /><em>Challenging the iPhone is apparently easier said than done. RIM’s Blackberry Storm has plenty of software and interface issues, SonyEricsson’s Xperia X1 is way too expensive and those who hoped that Nokia’s 5800 phone would provide a contract-free alternative may be disappointed as well. The phone came with faulty earpiece speakers and cannot find AT&T’s 3G network, prompting Nokia to remove the phone from store shelves again.</em><br /><br />Technical problems with the U.S. version of the newly launched Nokia 5800 music mobile phone have led flagship stores in New York and Chicago to pull the model, according to PC World. For now, U.S. customers have to settle for a European version instead.<br />Positioned as a rival to Apple's iPhone, the phone is a music device with a touch-screen interface, priced at $399 before taxes and subsidies in the U.S. <br />But according to PC World, the U.S. launch has been interrupted by consumer complaints that the earpiece is not properly protected against moisture, which ruins the speaker. Users have also reported difficulties connecting to AT&T's 3G network, and many customers have reportedly already returned their phones. <br /><br />Following its introduction in October 2008, the Nokia 5800 Xpress Music has seen successful sales in a number of markets, including Hong Kong and Moscow, where the device sold out within hours of the sales kickoff, Nokia said.<br /><br />Many consumers have returned their 5800s to the Nokia stores in Chicago and New York, which eventually convinced Nokia to stop selling the phone for now. Nokia did not say how many 5800s have been sold in the U.S.<br /><br /><strong>Meanwhile there is also talk about Nokia’s Comes with Music service, a major selling point of the 5800, which was promised to allow users unlimited access to the service’s entire music library one year free of charge.</strong><br /><em><strong>U.S. launch likelihood: Very Strong.</strong></em>SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-5753139319373551522009-03-02T07:29:00.000-08:002009-03-02T07:47:57.248-08:00Internet pioneer Yahoo! is open to selling its Web search businessInternet company's chief financial says any deal needs to be done for the right reasons.<br /><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/media/ALeqM5iASZChFta1NECAktIVyGOt9NeLHA?size=m"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 216px;" src="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/media/ALeqM5iASZChFta1NECAktIVyGOt9NeLHA?size=m" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Internet pioneer Yahoo! is open to selling its Web search business or entering into a partnership with another company, but doing a deal would be hard.<br />Microsoft has expressed interest in Yahoo!’s search business and made a bid for the Sunnyvale, California-based firm last year but Jorgensen did not mention the US sofware giant as a potential partner.<br />He stressed the difficulties of doing a deal.<br />“What people don’t quite appreciate is the complexity of the business, and how these businesses are intertwined,” he said. “For example at a data center, we don’t parse between search or non-search.<br />“It’s extremely difficult to draw a line down the middle of the organisation and split it in two pieces,” Jorgensen said. “It doesn’t say we couldn’t do it, we certainly could, but we want to do it for the right reasons and the right economics.”<br />Yahoo! rejected a takeover bid by Microsoft last year but Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer has said the software giant remains interested in a search partnership with Yahoo!<br />Speculation of such a deal has been revived with the departure of Yahoo! chief executive Jerry Yang, who opposed the Microsoft bid, and his replacement by new CEO Carol Bartz.<br />Hilary Schneider, another Yahoo! executive, said that with Bartz’ arrival “it’s really clear there’s a new sheriff in town, and it’s a sheriff with a consumer outlook.”<br />Google is the overwhelming market leader for Internet search with a market share of more than 63% in January according to research firm comScore, followed by Yahoo! with 21% and Microsoft with 8.5%<br /><br /><br />The search business is deeply intertwined with Yahoo's other online products and properties, and so any deal, whether a partnership or a sale, would be done for the right reasons and the right economics.<br /><br />"It's extremely difficult to draw a line down the middle of the organization and split it into two pieces," Jorgensen told the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet conference.<br /><br />He did not mention specifically Microsoft Corp. (MSFT, Fortune 500), which has repeatedly said it was interested in doing a search deal with Yahoo to compete against market leader Google Inc. (GOOG, Fortune 500)<br /><br />The comments come as Yahoo is rumored to be on the brink of undertaking a major corporate reorganization under Chief Executive Carol Bartz, who took the reins in January.<br /><br />Yahoo rebuffed a $47.5 billion acquisition bid from Microsoft last year, and saw a deal to form a search advertising partnership with Google fall apart amid antitrust concerns.<br /><br />Bartz has said she did not join the company to sell it, nor did she have a preconceived notion of doing a search deal, but that "everything is on the table."<br /><br />Yahoo's stock (YHOO, Fortune 500) was up 2% or 27 cents, at $12.75 in after-market trade, after closing down 27 cents in the Nasdaq session.SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-46745604654340025472009-03-02T00:39:00.000-08:002009-03-02T00:51:46.280-08:00Scientists have developed safer way to alternative to embryonic stem cells<a href="http://futuresteve.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/embryonic-stem-cell-6660.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 307px; height: 315px;" src="http://futuresteve.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/embryonic-stem-cell-6660.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Scientists have developed what appears to be a safer way to create a promising alternative to embryonic stem cells, boosting hopes that such cells could sidestep the moral and political quagmire that has hindered the development of a new generation of cures. <br /><br />The researchers produced the cells by using strands of genetic material, instead of potentially dangerous genetically engineered viruses, to coax skin cells into a state that appears biologically identical to embryonic stem cells. <br /><br />"It's a leap forward in the safe application of these cells," said Andras Nagy of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, who helped lead the international team of researchers that described the work in two papers being published online today by the journal Nature. "We expect this to have a massive impact on this field." <br /><br />In addition to the scientific implications, the work comes at a politically sensitive moment. Scientists are anxiously waiting for President Obama to follow through on his promise to lift restrictions on federal funding for research on human embryonic stem cells. Critics of such a move immediately pointed to the work as the latest evidence that the alternative cells make such research unnecessary. <br /><br />"Stem cell research that requires destroying embryos is going the way of the Model T," Richard M. Doerflinger of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said. "No administration that values science and medical progress over politics will want to divert funds now toward that increasingly obsolete and needlessly divisive approach."<br /><br />Scientists, however, while praising the work as a potentially important advance, said it remains crucial to work on both types of cells because it is far from clear which will turn out to be more useful. <br /><br />"The point is, we don't know yet what the end potential of either of these approaches will be," said Mark A. Kay of Stanford University. "No one has cured any disease in people with any of these approaches yet. We don't know enough yet to know which approach will be better." <br /><br />Because embryonic stem cells are believed capable of becoming any kind of tissue in the body, scientists believe they could eventually lead to treatments or even cures for a host of ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In 2001, President George W. Bush restricted federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research to prevent taxpayer money from encouraging the destruction of human embryos, which is necessary to obtain the cells. <br /><br />The alternative cells, known as induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, appear to have many of the same characteristics as embryonic stem cells but are produced by activating genes in adult cells to "reprogram" them into a more primitive state, bypassing the moral, political and ethical issues surrounding embryonic cells. Until now, however, their use has been limited because the genetic manipulation required the use of viruses, raising concerns the cells could cause cancer if placed in a patient. That has triggered a race to develop alternative approaches. <br /><br />"These viral insertions are quite dangerous," Nagy said. <br /><br />In the new work, Nagy and his colleagues in Toronto and at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland instead used a sequence of DNA known as a transposon, which can insert itself into the genetic machinery of a cell. In this case, the researchers used a transposon called "piggyBac" to carry four genes that can transform mouse and human embryonic skin cells into iPS cells. After the conversion took place, the researchers removed the added DNA from the transformed cells using a specific enzyme. <br /><br />"PiggyBac carries the four genes into the cells and reprograms the cells into stem cells. After they have reprogrammed the cells, they are no longer required, and in fact they are dangerous," Nagy said. "After they do their job they can be removed seamlessly, with no trace left behind. The ability for seamless removal opens up a huge possibility." <br />A series of tests showed that the transformed cells had many of the properties of embryonic stem cells, Nagy said. <br /><br />The researchers did their initial work on skin cells from embryos but say the approach should work just as efficiently in adult cells, and they plan to start those experiments. <br /><br />"We do not expect that adult cells would behave significantly differently than the ones we are using currently," Nagy said. <br /><br />In addition to producing safer cell lines that would be less likely to cause cancer in patients, the advance will enable many more scientists to begin working on such cells because they require no expertise or special laboratories necessary for working with viruses, he said. <br /><br />"This opens up the possibility of working in this field for laboratories that don't have viral labs attached to them. A much larger number of laboratories will be able to push this field forward," Nagy said. <br /><br />Other researchers praised the work. <br /><br />"It's very significant," said George Q. Daley, a stem cell researcher at Children's Hospital in Boston. "I think it's a major step forward in realizing the value of these cells for medical research." <br /><br />"It's very exciting work," agreed Robert Lanza, a stem cell researcher at Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Mass. "With the new work, we're only a hair's breadth away from the biggest prize in regenerative medicine -- a way to create patient-specific cells that are safe enough to use clinically." <br /><br />Kay agreed that the work is promising but cautioned that much more research will be needed to prove that cells produced this way are safe. Many scientists are working on other approaches that may turn out to be safer and more efficient, he said. <br /><br />"This is a step forward. The research is heading in the right direction. But there still may be room for improvement," he said. <br /><br /><strong>more...</strong><br /><strong>New Method For Creating Stem Cells</strong><br /> Mount Sinai Hospital's Dr. Andras Nagy discovered a new method of creating stem cells that could lead to possible cures for devastating diseases including spinal cord injury, macular degeneration, diabetes and Parkinson's disease. The study, published by Nature, accelerates stem cell technology and provides a road map for new clinical approaches to regenerative medicine.SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-35026871360266141892009-02-24T00:33:00.000-08:002009-02-24T00:40:56.516-08:00U.S. consumers are already watching broadcast TV shows on free websites such as Hulu.com,<a href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadgethd.com/media/2008/10/2-2-08-next-tv.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 440px; height: 385px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadgethd.com/media/2008/10/2-2-08-next-tv.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />"<em>OnDemand Online" will be available free to Comcast cable TV subscribers, Business Insider reports. That means only customers inside Comcast's cable zone can sign up, but the service itself is available anywhere. For example, a user could still watch on demand videos away from home (the company is working on a way to verify subscriptions). Also of note, the service would count against Comcast's 250 GB monthly bandwidth cap.<br /><br />The major difference between this service and Hulu is content. While Hulu's videos come from NBC, Fox and their cable channels like FX, Comcast is inking deals with other cable networks, possibly providing a streaming opportunity for channels like the Food Network and Discovery. In other words, Comcast is going to focus on content that isn't already online.</em><br /><em>Because Comcast and other cable providers pay fees that account for roughly half of cable channels' revenue, it's in the channels' best interests to keep providers healthy, Business Insider notes. By comparison, hardly any money comes in through online viewing, so its more likely for a channel to give its content to Comcast than to an online-only service like Hulu.</em><br />U.S. cable, programmers set for Web TV by summer,,,<br />Cable and satellite TV providers are working on a free online video service to deliver up-to-date cable shows to computers and mobile phones, but the industry is worried the project could cannibalize pay-TV's long-standing revenue model.<br />cable network programing is available primarily on cable and satellite TV services, such as Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) and DirecTV Group Inc (DTV.O), or nascent video services from phone companies.<br />This is about bringing new amounts of content to the Internet in a business model that continues to support the creation of that content," said Sam Schwartz, executive vice president of Comcast Interactive Media.<br /><br />Comcast is leading talks with programmers like Viacom Inc (VIAb.N) and Discovery Communications Inc (DISCA.O), with Time Warner Cable (TWC.N), DirecTV and others involved. Their plans are at different stages, and cable operators will likely discuss putting cable programing online at an industry meeting this week according to people familiar with the plans.<br /><br />The project would let cable and satellite TV subscribers watch up-to-date cable shows on the Web, and possibly on mobile phones, for free possibly as soon as this summer, the sources said.<br /><br />The idea is to give customers added flexibility to view their favorite shows. It is also seen as a preemptive strike against possible 'cord-cutting' of video services, particularly by younger subscribers used to watching other programs online.<br /><br />But the project presents a number of business and technology challenges to both operators and programmers.<br /><br />Cable programmers like Viacom's MTV Networks make money from advertising sales, as well as affiliate fees that cable and satellite TV service providers pay. <br /><br /><strong>TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES</strong><br /><br />Whatever business models are agreed upon will depend to some extent on overcoming technological challenges.<br /><br />One involves identifying which customers have the right to view a show, and managing digital rights to avoid over-wide distribution. There is also the need to accurately 'time' the content so it is available to users for a restricted period -- so as not to jeopardize other media content distribution systems such as video on demand and DVD releases.<br /><br />Yet executives also acknowledge the risk of ignoring the Web, as seen by the music and newspaper industries that have suffered as consumers change their media consumption habits.<br /><br />Comcast sees the project, which it calls On Demand Online, as a natural progression from digital video recorders and video-on-demand channels.<br /><br />It is working on technology to authenticate subscribers who go to Comcast's Fancast and Comcast.net websites for video. This would effectively create a "wall" behind which programmers might feel comfortable keeping some of their premium shows.SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-17425379223079816382009-02-22T06:20:00.000-08:002009-02-22T06:35:10.259-08:00Offline web applications allow people to store data on their own computer<a href="http://tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:iZQJbe514vaNeM:http://www.miriadz.com/images/security-locked-laptop.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 89px;" src="http://tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:iZQJbe514vaNeM:http://www.miriadz.com/images/security-locked-laptop.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><strong>Working offline can come with an unexpected risk</strong><br />A security expert has sounded a warning on features that allow offline access to websites. so that they can use services like web-based e-mail when not online. <br />Be cautious when you get an email that says "there's a problem with your password, click on this link and we'll fix it"<br />But sites with poor security that use the feature put their visitors at risk of being robbed of their data. <br /><br />Michael Sutton disclosed the threat at the Black Hat security conference in Washington, DC. <br /><br />Offline web applications are taking off because of services such as Gears, developed by Google, and HTML 5, a new HTML specification that is still in draft form. <br /><br />It was introduced to many web users in January, when Gmail introduced a Gears-powered offline mode. Offline Gmail lets users read and write e-mail when they're not connected to the internet. <br /><br />Mr Sutton stressed that Gmail, Gears and HTML 5 are considered secure, but websites that implement offline features without proper security could put users at risk. <br /><br />"You can take this great, cool secure technology, but if you implement it on an insecure website, you're exposing it. And then all that security is for naught." <br /><br />Mr Sutton found that websites which suffer from a well-known security vulnerability known as cross-site scripting are at risk. <br /><br />A hacker could direct a victim to a vulnerable website and then cause the user's own browser to grab data from their offline database. <br />Unlike phishing, the whole attack could take place on a reputable site, which makes it harder to detect. <br /><br />As a proof of concept, Mr Sutton was able to swipe information from the offline version of a time-tracking website called Paymo. Mr Sutton alerted Paymo and it fixed the vulnerability immediately. <br /><br />Web developers must ensure that their sites are secure before implementing offline applications, said Mr Sutton. <br /><br />"Gears is fantastic and Google has done a great job of making it a secure technology. But if you slap that technology into an already vulnerable site, you're leaving your customers at risk," he explained. <br /><br />Security expert Craig Balding agreed that it was up to developers to secure their sites, as the line between desktop applications and web applications becomes more blurred. <br /><br />"Every website wants to keep up in terms of features, but when developers turn to technologies like this they need to understand the pros and cons," he told BBC News.SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-87449936734266371842009-02-21T05:47:00.000-08:002009-02-21T05:55:06.494-08:00Hackers have been exploiting a critical bug in Adobe Reader Acrobat<a href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tuaw.com/media/2008/05/adobereader8.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 125px; height: 78px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tuaw.com/media/2008/05/adobereader8.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Hackers are exploiting an unpatched security hole in current versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat to install malicious software when users open a booby-trapped PDF file, security experts warn.<br /><br />These types of attacks are frequently the most damaging and it is only a matter of time before this exploit ends up in every exploit pack on the Internet," Shadowserver volunteer Steven Adair wrote on the group's blog.<br /><br /><strong>Adobe's advisory lacks any advice users can follow to mitigate the threat from this flaw. But those at Shadowserver say Adobe Reader and Acrobat users can significantly reduce their exposure to such attacks by disabling Javascript within the application. To nix Javascript, select "Edit," "Preferences," "Javascript," and uncheck the box next to "Enable Acrobat Javascript." </strong><br /><br /><strong>Why does Reader even need Javascript?</strong><br /><br /><em>With Reader, you can sometimes fill out forms. Those forms might use JavaScript. For example, you might a form asking your height: You plug in 6'1". <br /><br />Then the form will also calculate your height as 185 cm (centimeters) for those using metric. <br /><br />A better example is an order form. You indicate which things you want to purchase, and the form automatically sums the total amount of the purchases.<br /><br />Some forms are dynamic in the sense that they don't have a fixed length. If you add more items to purchase, add more beneficiaries to an insurance policy, or add more text to a survey, the form add another page. The page numbering might be driven by JavaScript.<br /><br />Adobe said that users should expect to see a fix for the vulnerability by March 11. In the meantime, researchers at both Shadowserver and the US Computer Emergency Response Team recommend that users disable the ability for documents to execute Javascript code in both Acrobat and Reader through the application's preference panel.</em>SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-62013085102413742382009-02-20T05:46:00.000-08:002009-02-20T06:05:55.458-08:00Xbox Live is being targeted by malicious hackers<a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45474000/jpg/_45474927_halothre-microsoft226.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 282px;" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45474000/jpg/_45474927_halothre-microsoft226.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><strong>Halo 3 players are a popular target for the Xbox attacks</strong><br />Hackers target Xbox Live players.The booting services are proving popular with players who want a way to get revenge on those who beat them in an Xbox Live game. <br /><br />The attackers are employing data flooding tools that have been used against websites for many years. <br /><br />Microsoft is "investigating" the use of the tools and said those caught using them would be banned from Xbox Live. <br /><br />"There's been a definite increase in the amount of people talking about and distributing these things over the last three to four weeks," said Chris Boyd, director of malware research at Facetime Communications. <br /><strong><br />Attack tool </strong><br />"The smart thing about these Xbox tools is that they do not attack the Xbox Live network itself," he said. <br /><br />He said the tools work by exploiting the way that the Xbox Live network is set up. Game consoles connecting to the Xbox network send data via the net, and for that it needs an IP address. <br /><br />Even better, said Mr Boyd, games played via Xbox Live are not hosted on private servers.<br />"Instead," he said, "a lot of games on Xbox Live are hosted by players." <br /><br />If hackers can discover the IP address of whoever is hosting a game they can employ many of the attacks that have been used for years against websites, said Mr Boyd. <br /><br />One of the most popular for the Xbox Live specialists is the Denial of Service attack which floods an IP address with vast amounts of data. <br /><br />The flood of data is generated by a group of hijacked home computers, a botnet, that have fallen under the control of a malicious hacking group. <br /><br />When turned against a website this flood of traffic can overwhelm it or make it unresponsive to legitimate visitors. <br /><br />When turned against an Xbox owner, it can mean they cannot connect to the Live network and effectively throws them out of the game. <br /><br />"They get your IP address, put it in the booter tool and they attempt to flood the port that uses Xbox traffic," said Mr Boyd. "Flooding that port prevents any traffic getting out." <br /><strong><br />Skill set </strong><br />The hard part, he said, was discovering a particular gamer's IP address but many malicious hackers had honed the skills needed to find them. <br /><br />Some interconnect their PC and Xbox and use packet sniffing software to hunt through the traffic flowing in and out of the console for IP addresses. <br />Others simply use con tricks to get the target to reveal their net address. <br /><br />The technical knowledge needed to hunt down IP addresses was quite high, said Mr Boyd, but many of those who had the skills were selling their expertise to those keen to hit back at their rivals on the Xbox Live network. <br /><br />For $20 (£13) some Xbox Live hackers will remotely access a customer's PC and set up the whole system so it can be run any time they need it. <br /><br />Some offer low rates to add compromised machines to a botnet and increase the amount of data flooding a particular IP address. <br /><br />Defending against the attack could be tricky, said Mr Boyd: "There's no real easy solution to this one." <br /><br />Although IP addresses regularly change, people could find it takes hours or days for their ISP to move them on to a new one. <br /><br />In response to the rise in attacks, Microsoft said: "We are investigating reports involving the use of malicious software tools that an attacker could use to try and disrupt an Xbox LIVE player's internet connection." <br /><br /><strong>It added: </strong>"This problem is not related to the Xbox Live service, but to the player's internet connection. The attacker could also attempt [to] disrupt other internet activities, such as streaming video or web browsing, using the same tools. <br /><br />In its statement Microsoft warned: "This malicious activity violates the Xbox Live Terms of Use, and will result in a ban from Xbox Live and other appropriate action. <br /><br />It urged anyone falling victim to such an attack to contact their ISP to report it and get help fixing it. <br /><br /><a href="http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/98171_matter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/98171_matter.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />In January 2009 Microsoft announced that Xbox Live had more than 17m members.SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-5403213418640713042009-02-20T02:13:00.000-08:002009-02-20T02:22:58.247-08:00Updates for Windows 7 Beta Users<a href="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/10/Win7_mean_2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 494px; height: 371px;" src="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/10/Win7_mean_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><strong>5 test updates to PCs running the Windows 7 Beta (Build 7000) via Windows Update. These updates allow us to test and verify our ability to deliver and manage the updating of Windows 7. We typically verify servicing scenarios during a beta.<br />Next week Windows 7 beta users will get a variety of updates, only they aren't really updates. <br /><br />Instead, Microsoft said in will sending the patches to test the operating system's updating mechanism. <br /><em><br />The company stressed the updates won't actually add new features or update anything. <br /><br />Brandon LeBlanc explained the nature of the updates in a blog posting .</strong><br />This is not something we will support in Windows 7. We've talked about and shown a great many "personalization" elements of Windows 7 already, such as the new themepacks which you can try out in the beta. The reasons for this should be pretty clear, which is that we cannot guarantee the security of the system to allow for arbitrary elements to be loaded into memory at boot time. In the early stages of starting Windows, the system needs to be locked down and execute along a very carefully monitored and known state as tools such as firewalls and anti-virus checking are not yet available to secure the system. And of course, even though we're sure everyone would follow the requirements around image size, content, etc. due to performance we would not want to build in all the code necessary to guarantee that all third parties would be doing so. </em><br /><strong>Most should not be surprised about this decision, not only because of the security and performance concerns, but because Microsoft has not supported customizing boot screens on its previous Windows operating systems.</strong><br /><strong>Personalization</strong><br /><em>Many of you might be asking if you could include your own animation or customize this sequence. This is not something we will support in Windows 7. We’ve talked about and shown a great many “personalization” elements of Windows 7 already, such as the new themepacks which you can try out in the beta. The reasons for this should be pretty clear, which is that we cannot guarantee the security of the system to allow for arbitrary elements to be loaded into memory at boot time. In the early stages of starting Windows, the system needs to be locked down and execute along a very carefully monitored and known state as tools such as firewalls and anti-virus checking are not yet available to secure the system. And of course, even though we’re sure everyone would follow the requirements around image size, content, etc. due to performance we would not want to build in all the code necessary to guarantee that all third parties would be doing so. One of our design goals of Windows 7 was around making sure there are ample opportunities to express yourself and to make sure your PC is really your PC and so we hope that you’ll understand why this element is one we need to maintain consistently. <br /><br />This was a quick behind the scenes look at something that we hope you enjoy. With Windows 7 we set out to make the experience of starting a Windows PC a little more enjoyable, and from the feedback we’ve seen here and in other forums, we think we’re heading in the right direction. In addition to our efforts to make boot fast, we also have a goal to make the system robust enough, such that most of you will not see this new boot animation that often and when you do it will be both enjoyable and fast!</em>SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564789355139535583.post-90008410611803986222009-02-18T20:57:00.000-08:002009-02-18T21:13:15.668-08:00Complicated Nano-structures Assembled With Magnets<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TZ4zYEBSw1I/SC3PNE7Q01I/AAAAAAAAEe4/GB2x9nm1m0s/s320/nano_chemical_cousin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TZ4zYEBSw1I/SC3PNE7Q01I/AAAAAAAAEe4/GB2x9nm1m0s/s320/nano_chemical_cousin.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><strong>Duke University and the University of Massachusetts have created a unique set of conditions in which tiny particles within a solution will consistently assemble themselves into these and other complex shapes.</strong><br />By manipulating the magnetization of a liquid solution, the researchers have for the first time coaxed magnetic and non-magnetic materials to form intricate nano-structures. The resulting structures can be "fixed," meaning they can be permanently linked together. This raises the possibility of using these structures as basic building blocks for such diverse applications as advanced optics, cloaking devices, data storage and bioengineering.<br /><br />Changing the levels of magnetization of the fluid controls how the particles are attracted to or repelled by each other. By appropriately tuning these interactions, the magnetic and non-magnetic particles form around each other much like a snowflake forms around a microscopic dust particle.<br /><br />"We have demonstrated that subtle changes in the magnetization of a fluid can create an environment where a mixture of different particles will self-assemble into complex superstructures," said Randall Erb, fourth-year graduate student. He performed these experiments in conjunction with another graduate student Hui Son, in the laboratory of Benjamin Yellen, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and lead member of the research team.<br /><br />The results of the Duke experiments appear in Feb. 19 issue of the journal Nature.<br /><br />The nano-structures are formed inside a liquid known as a ferrofluid, which is a solution consisting of suspensions of nanoparticles composed of iron-containing compounds. One of the unique properties of these fluids is that they become highly magnetized in the presence of external magnetic fields. The unique ferrofluids used in these experiments were developed with colleagues Bappaditya Samanta and Vincent Rotello at the University of Massachusetts.<br /><br />"The key to the assembly of these nano-structures is to fine-tune the interactions between positively and negatively magnetized particles," Erb said. "This is achieved through varying the concentration of ferrofluid particles in the solution. The Saturn and flower shapes are just the first published examples of a range of potential structures that can be formed using this technique."<br /><br />According to Yellen, researchers have long been able to create tiny structures made up of a single particle type, but the demonstration of sophisticated structures assembling in solutions containing multiple types of particles has never before been achieved. The complexity of these nano-structures determines how they can ultimately be used.<br /><br />"It appears that a rich variety of different particle structures are possible by changing the size, type and or degree of magnetism of the particles," Yellen said.<br /><br />Yellen foresees the use of these nano-structures in advanced optical devices, such as sensors, where different nano-structures could be designed to possess custom-made optical properties. Yellen also envisions that rings composed of metal particles could be used for antenna designs, and perhaps as one of the key components in the construction of materials that display artificial "optical magnetism" and negative magnetic permeability.<br /><br />In the Duke experiments, the nano-structures were created by applying a uniform magnetic field to a liquid containing various types of magnetic and non-magnetic colloidal particles contained between transparent glass slides to enable real-time microscopic observations of the assembly process. Because of the unique nature of this "bulk" assembly technique, Yellen believes that the process could easily be scaled up to create large quantities of custom-designed nano-structures in high-volume reaction vessels. However, the trick is to also be able to glue the structures together, because they will fall apart when the external field is turned off, he said.<br /><br />"The magnetic forces assembling these particles are reversible," Yellen said. "We were able to lock these nano-structures in their intended shapes both by using chemical glues and by simple heating."<br /><br />The Duke team plans to test different combinations of particles and ferrofluids developed by the University of Massachusetts team to create new types of nano-structures. They also want to try to make even smaller nano-structures to find the limitations of the assembly process, and study the interesting optical properties which are expected from these structures.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2009/02/090218135034-large.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 431px;" src="http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2009/02/090218135034-large.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><strong>The Ethics of Nanotechnology</strong><br />What kind of world do we wish to inhabit and leave for following generations? Our planet is in trouble if current trends continue into the future: environmental degradation, extinction of species, rampant diseases, chronic warfare, poverty, starvation and social injustice. <br /><br />Are suffering and despair humanity's fate? Not necessarily. We have within our grasp the technology to help bring about great progress in elevating humanity. Or we can use our evolving knowledge for destructive ends. We are already immersed in fiery debates on genetic engineering, cloning, nuclear physics and the science of warfare. Nanotechnology, with its staggering implications, will create a whole new set of ethical quandaries. A strong set of operating principles is needed -- standards by which we can guide ourselves to a healthier destiny.<br /> <br /><strong>The following are some ethical guidelines gleaned from both Foresight and our own philosophy and experience in this field: </strong><br /><br />* Nanotechnology's highest and best use should be to create a world of abundance where no one is lacking for their basic needs. Those needs include adequate food, safe water, a clean environment, housing, medical care, education, public safety, fair labor, unrestricted travel, artistic expression and freedom from fear and oppression. <br /><br />* High priority must be given to the efficient and economical global distribution of the products and services created by nanotechnology. We recognize the need for reasonable return on investment, but we must also recognize that our planet is small and we all depend upon each other for safety, stability, even survival. <br /><br />* Military research and applications of nanotechnology must be limited to defense and security systems, and not for political purposes or aggression. And any government-funded research that generates useful non-military technological advances must be made available to the public. <br /><br />* Scientists developing and experimenting with nanotechnology must have a solid grounding in ecology and public safety, or have someone on their team who does. Scientists and their organizations must also be held accountable for the willful, fraudulent or irresponsible misuse of the science. <br /><br />* All published research and discussion of nanotechnology should be accurate as possible, adhere to the scientific method, and give due credit to sources. Labeling of products should be clear and accurate, and promotion of services, including consulting, should disclose any conflicts of interest. <br /><br />* Published debates over nanotechnology, including chat room discussions, should focus on advancing the merits of the arguments rather than personal attacks, such as questioning the motives of opponents. <br /><br />* Business models in the field should incorporate long-term, sustainable practices, such as the efficient use of resources, recycling of toxic materials, adequate compensation for workers and other fair labor practices. <br /><br />* Industry leaders should be collaborative and self-regulating, but also support public education in the sciences and reasonable legislation to deal with legal and social issues associated with nanotechnology.SANJIDA AFROJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760060052996124575noreply@blogger.com0